Association of cutaneous side-effects of hydroxyurea and neuroendocrine carcinoma

Many cutaneous side-effects of long term use of hydroxyurea (HU) therapy are well known. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of a neuroendocrine carcinoma located on the finger associated with other cutaneous changes due to this drug. Our patient received HU for two years for an thrombocytemia. This treatment was stopped because of a dermatomyositis-like eruption. Two years later, she developed multiple keratotic lesions, and eight years later, an Merkel cell carcinoma on the third left finger with metastasic evolution. This case suggests HU could be a cofactor of this neuroendocrine carcinoma but a simple coincidence could not be excluded.